Chapter 2

BOOM—!

A deafening roar instantly swallowed all other sounds in the world.

It felt like a red-hot iron rod had been violently shoved through my eardrums, shaking my entire skull with a ringing vibration.

But because of my pre-emptive command, all my crew members had taken cover in the seconds before the explosion, minimizing the direct impact and reducing injuries.

Jax and Chloe weren’t so lucky.

Completely unprepared, Jax didn't even have time to scream as he ignited the lighter. The blue fireball engulfed him instantly.

Chloe, standing beside him, couldn’t escape either.

She was violently thrown back by the furious blast, her back slamming against a load-bearing wall with a sickening thud.

Her orange fire-resistant suit rapidly charred and carbonized under the terrifying heat, emitting plumes of white smoke.

A few seconds later, the first, most violent wave of the explosion passed.

I fought back the ringing in my ears and the internal tremors, scrambling to my feet immediately, and yelled, “Roll call!”

“One!”

“Two!”

“Three!”

“Captain, all accounted for, no major injuries!” Mike’s voice echoed through the smoke, filled with the relief of surviving.

After confirming that all my crew had only suffered shock and minor scrapes, I immediately gave orders: “Team One, with me, put out the fire! Contain the blaze! Team Two, prepare for search and rescue!”

I grabbed a fire extinguisher and rushed towards the burning gas canister.

Soon, we had the remaining fires under control.

When I reached Chloe, she was unconscious, her cheeks and neck covered in large, horrific burn blisters.

Jax, beside her, was completely unrecognizable, charred black, with only a faint, shallow rise and fall in his chest.

I admit, for a moment, my heart felt numb.

All the past entanglements and hatred flashed through my mind like a silent film.

But they were quickly suppressed by my ingrained professional instincts. The next second, they were just victims in need of urgent rescue.

This was my duty, regardless of love or hate.

My movements were swift and precise as I calmly directed the rescue.

Downstairs, I handed the injured over to the waiting medical personnel.

The accident investigation team and police had also arrived at the scene.

Director Hayes, who was leading the team, walked over and patted my shoulder. “Caleb, tough job. What’s the situation inside?”

I stood at attention, giving him a crisp salute.

“Director Hayes, fire is out, critically injured individuals have been transported to the hospital.”